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University of St. Thomas Campus Ministry and Tommie Prison Ministry teamed up on Dec. 3 for an event in the Iverson Center for Faith to create Christmas cards for prisoners this holiday season.

Campus Ministry organizes two card making events each year – one for Christmas and another for Easter. Both are focused on spreading joy and hope to prisoners across the nation.

A handful of students arrived early before the event started, which Campus Ministry event coordinator Marta Pereira was not expecting. Pereira was grateful to have a “culture of encounter” nonetheless.

“This opportunity to have students visit people through their words and messages is just really beautiful,” Pereira said. “Whether they are Christian or not, we still want to challenge people to get out of themselves and think about somebody else.”

For two hours, the room was filled with students and faculty using pens to scratch hope onto personalized Christmas cards For the safety of the writer, their full names, university and other personal information was not shared in the letter.

Senior Tommie Prison Ministry founder and student leader Bridget Zenk wanted to spread joy to those affected by the incarceration system.

“It’s just a really good time to remember who’s on the outskirts of our society and send hope to people who might not be getting that otherwise,” Zenk said.

The Tommie Prison Ministry’s mission is to provide a community space for students to serve those who are imprisoned and those who are impacted by the prison system. The club has been focused on providing fellowship through writing cards, especially when prisons restricted in-person visits during the pandemic.

Last year, this event produced about 260 letters. This year, the goal was to reach 100 letters. By the end of the event, 45 students and faculty showed up, producing 101 letters.

“I hope that the cards get to the folks who are imprisoned easily without hassle and that they are filled with hope by them,” Zenk said.

Gwynnevere Vang can be reached at vang5129@stthomas.edu.